By Oluwadamilola Olaleye
Werder Bremen winger Marco Grüll has hailed Victor Boniface’s attacking qualities and expressed confidence that the Nigerian striker will thrive during his season-long loan at the club.
Boniface, who joined Bremen from Bayer Leverkusen after a proposed move to AC Milan collapsed due to medical concerns, made an immediate impression on his debut, registering an assist in the 4-0 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Speaking ahead of Saturday’s Bundesliga clash with SC Freiburg, Grüll highlighted the competition for places in the squad but insisted Boniface’s arrival has strengthened the team.
“Victor Boniface makes the team better. You can see how he uses his body and the qualities he brings to training,” Grüll said.
“It’s important for us to have this competition, and that’s why we need someone like him here. We have this competition in other positions as well, and that’s important. I’m a hard worker, and that’s how I want to use my qualities.”
The Austrian winger also praised Bremen’s flexibility in attack, noting that their forward options give them a tactical edge.
“We are very versatile in our attacking game. Anyone up front can play in almost any position, which makes us more unpredictable and is good for us. Anyone can score goals, as we’ve seen. I feel very comfortable in this system,” he added.
Boniface is now pushing for his first start when Bremen host Freiburg at the Weserstadion this weekend.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
